Selected Of-the-Cuff Speech at the Meeting with Workers and Employees in the Tuol Sangke Area [Unofficial Translation]

Let me thank you all, especially nieces and nephews workers and employees who are giving me such a warm welcome. I am so glad to be here with over 14,000 workers from ten factories in the Tuol Sangke area. I thank you here and workers in other areas so much for giving me affection everywhere I go. Such affection is a source of encouragement for me to continue to make efforts in resolving more problems concerned. This has also pointed out that you have a better understanding of my leadership in the past and a clear indication that your parents and grandparents have had a good memory of sharing hardships in our journey to defend and develop the country altogether after the liberation of Cambodia from the regime of Pol Pot […]

We have fulfilled so many tasks to get where we are now. You may have remembered how it was in the recent past. Tuol Sangke in between 1970-75 was a place from where the (Khmer Rouge) warring faction mounted artilleries to shell the Pochentong area (and/or airport). It was not a developed area. As you can see now, this has become a developed area and soon there will be new buildings […]

Why do we not look back at what we did? We have made efforts to make peace, to achieve development, and to attract investment as well as to find markets to attract investments to Cambodia. We had to put in place necessary infrastructures and provided vocational training and education. You may know that it was because of such education and training that you have benefitted from chances of finding jobs in factories and enterprises. Some of you have become foremen and even higher positions in every investments and to attract even more […]

Achievements – Efforts of CPP, No Opposition

Why and where have we achieved all this? It was not coming from bragging of the opposition. It all comes from efforts made by the Cambodian People’s Party and the Royal Government. We have also secured them from efforts made by you workers and factories’ owners altogether in resolving your differences. We have done what we should in asking other countries to provide assistance, to attract investment and to open markets for our goods abroad … including our negotiation to join World Trade Organization […]

Would Not Let Any Traitors to Destroy Cambodia’s Future

I think that you are able to fathom that there were no one else but the Royal Government (who have made all this happen). Some had come to instigate you to demand salary that was exceeding ability of the factories/enterprises owners. They even try to make thing inapplicable. They had used our workers for their advantage, especially in late 2013 and early 2014. They planned to have our workers joined them in overthrowing the legal Royal Government by actions that can be characterized as color revolution. We arrested the person behind this treason now. (According to law,) political party making systematic involvement in color revolution, for which we have discovered elements of undeniable evidences, is facing dissolution in the time to come. We would not forgive anyone to hide under the banner of human rights and democracy under foreign orders to destroy future of Cambodia. The one who did it had failed. We have contained them and the treacherous terror network.

They had used our workers in their plan. What was the real meaning of it? War could have happened because of armed violence as they appealed for armed rebel. You may have seen the VDO clip that the person demanded the army to turn their guns at the Royal Government. Should there be a real fight, what would be the consequences? Every element of evidences gathered indicates treason and national destruction. We will not forgive them. It was lucky that Cambodia has me and I could have the situation under control. I allow no treacherous ones to have a chance to destroy peace and national unity, and more so to place the country under foreign control. Such determination has guaranteed that you nieces and nephew continued to have jobs in 2013 […] should we fail to contain the situation, no one knows what could have happened. We have revealed the scheme […]

Welcome to Opposition MP to Work with CPP

As the involved political party is going to dissolve, we do not want those who have no ideas of what happened to have to suffer the same fate. It is in this understanding that we welcome those who leave that party and join political life with the Cambodian People’s Party. Some have had no ideas of their leaders’ attempts. We welcome councilors of the provinces, districts, communes, who wish to continue their works and join the Cambodian People’s Party. (According to law,) elected seats of commune heads, assistants, etc., after dissolution, would go to other elected party, and in this case the Cambodian People’s Party. In places where there were only two party contested, the seats will come to Cambodian People’s Party. Should those elected on that party’s tickets wish to continue to serve the people, after reallocation of seats, they may join the Cambodian People’s Party to carry through with their jobs […]

We are taking measure against the political organization of the party involved in treacherous acts. We bring only the leaders to account for what they had done. We do not wish to bother junior level (party) members […] as in this case yesterday at Takeo, we could just welcome a member of the Daun Keo councilors into the Cambodian People’s Party list […] I also wish to affirm to the Cambodian People’s Party committees at every level to implement this principle […] we did the same with the Khmer Rouge. Not every Khmer Rouge was bad. Only bad leader makes them bad people. It is in this understanding that we will only bring the leaders to trial and dissolve their political and military organizations. Those at junior levels will just continue to work for our nation – both civil and armed forces […]

They planned to use workers to create violence at Veng Sreng road […] you may ask why a salary and working condition strike had had to take place at 2am and there had been supply of bread for them too. That person who carried out the work has now left Cambodia and is in the United States. This issue is not ending with one person arrested. We must bring the whole thing into analysis. Had we left the situation in late 2013 and early 2014 unattended, would you think you could stay and work here? War could have happened in the whole country. No one would allow you to overthrow them easily […]

Peace and Development – Two Inseparable Elements

It is in this understanding that we must demand further efforts and our major task is to keep peace. Without peace, there could be no development. We allow no organization, local or foreign, to disguise themselves under financial assistance, human rights, and/or democracy to destroy peace. We need peace because it is crucial to continue development. Without development, we also could not keep peace. They are two inseparable elements. I am calling on every stakeholder to continue to do whatever we can for the future of our country. Without participation, success would not come. Your parents and grandparents made tremendous efforts in the past to liberate the country from the Pol Pot’s genocide, to prevent the return of the regime, and to work in cultivation for family’s life. They did all those with bare hands […]

It is in such indication that keeping peace is necessary and bearing great value. Our past taught us well enough. Without peace, we would not have development but destruction […] I hope that you and your parents and grandparents continue to journey with me in keeping peace, safeguarding development, and keeping jobs and income that you have. I have declared already that I will continue to run for Prime Minister for the next at least ten years. I will not allow anyone to destroy our country that your parents and grandparents have joined me from the beginning to build it […]

Thanks for Your Pure Feelings

We have gathered here with according to the number here 14,614 workers and employees from ten factories. I have brought everyone not much but 20,000 Riel as a token of appreciation. However, I have noticed a pure feeling on me […] I thank you so much and for your consideration of me as your father, uncle, granduncle, or even grandfather. This has become indeed a source of encouragement for me to continue this long journey to bring our country out of low middle-income country to be one in higher middle-income country in 2030. I am sure by then your income will be different. Your salary will improve. Years ago, each person had an income of 245 USD per annum. I think that was in 2000. However, we have now reached a new income level of 1,400 USD or more. We will continue to keep it up and ensure that our country will become one of the higher middle-income countries by 2030 and high-income one by 2050./.